Dr. Matthew D. Heller is board certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine. He has practiced on the North Shore of Boston for more than 30 years and is the Medical Director, President, and CEO of the North Shore Center for Arthritis Treatment and Clinical Research. In addition to his medical practice, he has participated in over 100 clinical trials on medications used to treat rheumatic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and Lyme disease.

The Individuality of Arthritis

Arthritis is the general term used to describe conditions that affect the joints of the body. There are some types of arthritis that impact muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and even internal organs. "Although we use the word arthritis as if it is one specific medical condition, there are actually more than 100 different types that can affect anyone from infants to older adults. In fact, more than 70 million adults and 300,000 children have some form of arthritis and more than half of all people with arthritis are younger than age 65."

Is There Golf After Arthritis?HOW TO REDUCE YOUR HANDICAP

In the interface between golf and arthritis, never is the axiom "FOREwarned is FOREarmed" truer. Since 20 million Americans have osteoarthritis and millions in the osteoarthritic age group play golf, it's incumbent upon those of us who treat musculoskeletal problems to be aware of the types of injuries golfers sustain, as well as counter measures and associated strategies to reduce the incidence of injury in this popular and assessable sport.